Project “Black Dog”: Wide-Body 5th Gen Vert Runs With the Big Dogs

You know what they say; “If you can’t run with the big dogs, then you’d better stay on the porch.” Well, the guys at Lamb Performance, in Prescott, Arizona, have set out to prove that they can hang with the biggest and best custom shops around with their new 5th Gen Project car, dubbed “Black Dog.”

The car is a 2011 Camaro SS Convertible that the guys at Lamb are in the process of building for Greg Glassman, the CEO of CrossFit Fitness. Glassman is a diehard car-guy, and Black Dog isn’t the first car the guys at Lamb have turned out for him. Dave Severson, Performance Specialist at Lamb Chevrolet tells us, “When we decided to do this project, Greg was thinking about doing a high-end foreign car. But I told him that since his business was built in the USA, and made successful by the USA, we should do a car built in the USA, and he agreed. We built Black Dog to promote CrossFit Fitness and, also to show what a Chevy dealership in a small town can do.”

When it comes to high-end custom cars, you’ve got to go big or go home – and “big” is what Black Dog is all about. Starting with the powerplant, Black Dog is motivated by a 427 cubic inch LSX topped with a ported set of GM’s LS7 cylinder heads. The rotating assembly consists of a set of boost ready forged Mahle pistons, a forged Scat 4-inch throw crank shaft, and a set of 6.125-inch Scat H-Beam rods with ARP 2000 series bolts. The GMPP Bow Tie LSX block is reinforced with a girdle from BRE, and the cam is a custom grind also from BRE with top-secret specs.

Things get really interesting when we move to the outside of the engine, where you’ll find two 67mm Precision turbos hanging on either side of the engine. A FAST LSXr intake manifold keeps the boost flowing, and a set of ProCharger Blow-Off-Valves and Tial wastegates keep the excess pressure under control. A custom intercooler and radiator from Ron Davis work together to keep Black Dog’s air and water nice and cool. When it’s all said and done, the guys at Lamb estimate that this combo will be good for no less than 1,200 horsepower on the conservative side. When the boost is really cranked up, Black dog could howl to the tune of 1,500 horsepower.

As for the exterior, the “bigness” theme continues with modified steel rear fenders that have been stretched 8 inches per side, to give Black Dog a bulldog-like wide-body stance. Tucked under those fat fenders are a set of 3-piece 24×14 Asanti wheels, wrapped in Pirelli tires with the truly epic measurements of 405/25/24. We normally aren’t a big fan of wheels this huge on performance-oriented cars, but somehow the car manages to pull off 24-inch wheels without looking like a donk.

Black Dog rides on Eibach coil-overs with a set of Hotchkis adjustable sway bars and frame stiffeners, while a huge set of Baer Grand Sport brakes bring everything to a halt. With a projected 1,200 to 1,500 horsepower on tap, Black Dog required a third-member that could stand up to the abuse, so the guys from Lamb went with one of Strange Engineering’s Ford 9-inch center sections with a set of 1,500 horsepower capable axle shafts.

Moving to the interior you’ll find even more high-end touches. Black Dog has a set of Recaro Orthoped front seats, and a set of custom rear seats that perfectly match the Recaro’s stitching and piping. Carbon fiber trim work abounds throughout the interior, along with advanced electronics that include a thumping Kenwood stereo system and back up camera.

As you’ll notice from the pictures, Black Dog isn’t 100% complete yet and is in the process of having the final touches drawn together before it heads into the paint booth. Even so, this Camaro is already shaping up to be one of the baddest wide-body 5th Gens we’ve come across to date.

Severson says, “We wanted something totally stealth looking with power to match. I wanted to build a car that draws attention but isn’t gaudy or distasteful. I want people to stand there and look and say, ‘How did they do that?’ But, the phrase we actually hear the most when people see the car is ‘This is sick!’”

Stay tuned to LSXMag for more updates on project Black Dog as it nears completion.

About the author

Clifton Klaverweiden

Clifton has been a car fanatic since his late teens, when he started the restoration of his '67 Camaro. He considers himself a student of automotive science and technology, and particularly loves all things LSX. And, although he has an appreciation for everything, from imports to exotics, his true passion will always be for GM musclecars.